


In the Eyes of Her King

by icandrawamoth



Category: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Atlantis, Fall of Atlantis, Flying, M/M, Magic, Meet-Cute, Tumblr: knightpilotexchange, pre-Fall of Atlantis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 02:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14322552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: Ben doesn't want to be king of Atlantis; he would rather fly a ketak protecting the city. But when crisis comes, a decision must be made.(a Disney Atlantis fusion)





	In the Eyes of Her King

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JakkuCrew (fromstars)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromstars/gifts).



> Written for KnightPilot Exchange. I chose to go with your fantasy prompt (the full text is included at the end of the fic) - I don't think from your offhanded mention of Atlantis, you were expecting a full AU with bonus magic, but I really hope you like it!

Lounging in one of the large openings connecting the palace great room to outside, he grins as he watches a trio of ketaks roar by in the sky overhead. Outside, citizens of Atlantis look up and wave at the men piloting the stone flying machines.

“Ben, are you listening to me?”

The young prince winces, turning at the insistent words. His mother is seated on her throne, regal as ever, being fanned by one of her guards. Ben tears himself away from the view and approaches.

“Did you hear what I was saying?” Leia repeats.

Ben hunches his shoulders and fiddles with the crystal around his neck.

Leia sighs. “You're going to be king one day, Ben,” she admonishes. “You need to be attentive when I'm trying to teach you about your duties.”

“But, mother-”

Leia's voice softens somewhat. “I know you don't think you want this, my dear, but someday you'll realize it's your responsibility by birth. Atlantis needs you. Our people need you.”

Ben ducks his head. “If I could just-”

Leia's gaze sharpens. “You're not about to ask me to fly again. I've told you over and over. The ketaks are too dangerous for someone of your importance. We have our warriors to protect us in that way.”

Ben feels his face reddening, anger rising in him. He doesn't want to have this conversation again. It'll just end like every other time: his mother's baseless opinions unchanged, his anger and frustration even worse than before.

“Ben-”

“Can I be excused?” he cuts her off. “I don't think I can concentrate any more today. Let me just...I don't know, go out among the people or something. Please.”

Leia sighs. The disappointment plain in her gaze burns. “Very well. Be careful. But know that we'll be back at this tomorrow.”

 

To his credit, Ben does spend some time doing what he proposed. He walks through Atlantis, waving greetings to the people, throwing cheerful hellos back to those who offer them. A food vendor gives him a sample of her wares, and he tastes it, eagerly tells the woman how good the treat was and thanks her.

At one point, a group of children approaches, shyly tugging at his cloak and begging him to do a trick. Ben can't help an amused smile at their antics, at the thought of how much his mother would disapprove of such juvenile use of his inherited power. But she's not here now; she can't command him.

Ben eases the children back, bids them to watch closely, and raises his hands. A moment of concentration, and the crystal around his neck glows, then his hands. A cascade of golden sparks emerges, arcing through the air, and Ben moves his hands carefully, manipulating them into patterns and shapes that have the children gasping and giggling.

Eventually, though, they grow bored and scamper off. Ben shakes his hands, letting the display fade, and waves after them.

Then his feet take him where he's really been headed the whole time: down to an older part of the city, a chipped and crumpled clearing where damaged ketaks are taken and abandoned. Technically, the place is a secret, but being a member of the royal house does have certain advantages. It's only here that Ben can be among the wondrous machines without anyone telling him that they're dangerous or inappropriate for someone such as him.

He smiles as he steps into the place, automatically raising his crystal to activate a light – but it's already on. Ben stares. He's always sure to erase any evidence of his being here when he leaves. That means-

Before the thought can go any further, he hears a cry and looks up in time to see a lone ketak hurtling through the air in his direction, shooting sparks, half of the glow that should mark it as active and functioning dark. It's the man atop it doing the yelling as he clings to the seemingly out of control machine. Ben watches, wide-eyed, as the ketak makes straight for the clearing's wall, no signs of deviating even as the pilot struggles.

Instinct takes over; Ben throws his hands up, and the pale blue glow of his power is there instantly, as the man on the ketak is plucked from his mount and suspended in the air. The vehicle hits the wall and rebounds with an ear-splitting clattering, dropping unpowered to the ground and rolling away with crash after crash.

The pilot, still floating, looks down at Ben with wide eyes, seemingly speechless.

Concentrating hard so has not to injure hit, Ben lowers the other slowly to the ground. He's about Ben's age, he can see now, maybe a little older. Dark hair and merry brown eyes, his tattoo an ice-blue swirl across his right cheek, its tail resting under his eye. Ben doesn't think they've ever met before.

It seems to take a moment for the stranger to get his bearings, put two and two together, then his eyes go impossibly wider as he drops to one knee. “Prince Ben,” he sputters, sneaking a glance up at him. “I-”

“Are you all right?” Ben interrupts, waving away the formality. “It looked like you were having a tough time up there.”

“Um, yes. On both counts.” The pilot stands uncertainly and runs a self-conscious hand through his hair, mussing his curls even further. “I'm Poe.”

He puts out a hand, and Ben shakes it, unable to hold back a smile. “You're a pilot, then? Maybe just started your training?”

Poe gives Ben an evaluative look, seems to decide he can trust him. “I wouldn't be here flying one of these heaps if I had access to the nicer ones.”

Ben raises an eyebrow in question.

Poe's cheeks color, and he mumbles, “Someone higher up decided I was too reckless and thrill-seeking to be trusted as a pilot. But it's not like I was going to let that keep me on the ground.” His voice gains certainly, his look a hint of challenge. “I want to fly.”

Ben grins, and Poe doesn't seem to expect that at all. “I know what you mean. I'm not allowed to fly either.”

“But you're the prince,” Poe protests. “Can't you do anything you want?”

Ben snorts. “If only it were that easy.”

A sly smile spreads across Poe's face. “So you come here anyway? Have you flown before?”

Ben shakes his head.

The grin gets even wider. “What if I showed you how? We could go up together.”

“I don't know how good an idea that is, considering what I just saw.”

Poe has the good grace to look abashed, but only for a moment. “That ketak was too badly damaged. We can find better ones, even here. And if we get in trouble, you can save me with your magic again. Or yourself.”

Ben can't hold back a grin. He likes this idea more than he can say, but he tries not to show it. “All right. Let's start now.”

Poe grins, and Ben feels his heart trip.

 

They don't get into the air that day. Instead, together, they carefully examine every part of every ketak they can find in the area, finally discovering two Poe claims he can salvage. He has some mechanical skills – he'd been relegated there when told he wasn't allowed to fly – and he thinks he can make them airworthy and relatively safe. Ben, inexplicably, trusts him. They part with plans to meet again the next day.

Ben's next lesson with his mother is better. Part of him feels more impatient than ever, but the rest, _knowing_ what's coming when it's finished, has an easier time waiting. His hopes for what he really wants to do aren't entirely in vain anymore. Maybe he can have both.

Leia seems a little suspicious, but also happy. She dismisses him earlier than usual.

Ben has a hard time not running all the way to his rendezvous with Poe.

He's there waiting of course, all the lamps in the clearing lit as he kneels between the ketaks they've chosen. The grin he gives Ben when he enters is infections. “They're ready to go!” he declares. “It took even less time than I thought.”

“Great! So...” Ben approaches hesitantly, swinging a leg over one of the machines. “How do I start?”

“Follow my lead.” Poe hops up onto his own. “Insert your crystal into the slot like this and turn it. Keep your hand on the pad and press – _gently_ – when you're ready to move. Got it?”

He does. Ben's heart leaps as the ketak rises steady into the air, humming under him like a living thing. It's what he's always wanted, and now that he's had it even for a second, he knows nothing will be able to keep him away.

Poe is there beside him the whole way, and once they've risen above the crumbled walls of their little compound, Ben looks over to see him nod and lay a hand on his own control pad. Ben follows suit, and instantly they're rocketing forward together, hair whipping in the wind, and Ben laughs aloud.

They fly, keeping to abandoned areas where they're unlikely to be seen. That means small caverns and rocky outcroppings – tricky flying, but Ben can feel himself taking to the work like a natural. The ketak seems to respond to his thoughts almost more than his physical commands, they work so well together.

And always Poe is right there, keeping pace, yelling encouragement, giving advice when Ben needs it.

Hours disappear like nothing, and soon the sun is setting, the two boys bringing their machines back to ground in their hideaway.

Ben can't stop smiling, and neither can Poe.

“That was incredible!” Poe enthuses, eyes wide and bright as leaps off his ship to meet Ben. “You're great at this! I can't believe they don't allow you to fly just because you're the prince.” Ben had told him his story during the few quieter moments they'd had that day.

Ben shrugs, but even those thoughts can't dampen his mood. “I had a such a good time today,” he fairly gushes. “I want to do this everyday. Maybe-”

Before he can finish the sentence, Poe is kissing him.

Ben almost pulls away at the initial shock of it, but then he lets himself melt. It feels good. It feels like the right ending to everything that's happened.

When Poe pulls back, he's still grinning. “You just looked so happy, I wanted to-”

Ben tugs him in again, cutting him off. “Well do this again tomorrow?” he pants when they finally part. “All of it?”

“ _All_ of it,” Poe agrees emphatically.

 

They meet everyday they possibly can. Between the flying itself and Poe – _everything_ about Poe – Ben has never been happier in his life. These two things he loves keep him going through even the hardest days, and it's easy to see that it's same for Poe.

At one point, Ben offers to talk to the commander of the ketak troops about getting the other boy reinstated, but Poe shakes his head and laughs. If they thought he was reckless before, they certainly won't want him now. Ben understands what he means and kisses him hard.

“You really don't want to be king?” Poe asks one day as they lay atop one of the city's tallest statues staring up into the sky, resting after their most recent exploits.

“I don't want to live in a gilded cage,” Ben explains. “Sitting on a throne and issuing orders isn't life.”

Poe rolls over on his side and stares at him. “That's not what your mother is like, though. We all love her. She does thing with the citizens of Atlantis all the time. She comes to our festivals and visits the market and piers and-”

Ben waves his hand. “If she had her way, I wouldn't be able to do any of that.”

Poe frowns at him. “So be a new kind of king. When you're on the throne, everything will be up to you. You can do whatever you want. Your mother won't be around forever.”

That brings Ben up short. He certainly hadn't meant to infer he'd rather be rid of her. He truly loves his mother, even if they don't agree on everything.

Poe sees the distress on his face and opens his mouth to say something, but at that moment, they're both distracted by a bright flash of light on the horizon.

“What-?” Ben mutters as the two of them sit up and look toward it. There, far beyond the edges of the city, is a cacophony of smoke and light, a swirling disturbance in the ocean that surrounds the city. Ben's heart rattles against his ribs. “Something's wrong.”

Poe looks worried. “You should go home.”

“Absolutely not.” Ben is already lowering himself over the edge of the statue, climbing down. He looks up and meets Poe's gaze. “We're going to find out what's happening.”

 

Mere minutes later, they're on their ketaks soaring across the ocean, just inches above the water. There are other flying machines leaving the city, too, and Ben knows he and Poe will be seen, but he doesn't care. Something is wrong. He doesn't know what, but he can feel it. It's like the magic inside him is roiling, screaming for him to do something.

He looks over at Poe, sees the same determined grimace etched onto his face Ben knows he himself wears. They're in this together.

And then there's another flash, closer, looking like some sort of projectile made of light. Ben jerks his ketak to a stop, kicking up a spray of water, as he watches with his mouth gaping. The sea opens up in the distance, a huge cloud of steam all that's left of a gigantic area of water. Then he sees the wave rising.

“We have to get back!” he yells to Poe. “We have to warn Atlantis!” _I have to help my people_ , he thinks silently.

Poe jerks a nod, and in tandem they whirl their ships and speed back toward the city. Ben's heart is in his throat as he watches the island grow closer, looking so pristine. Stone towers, statues, vibrant green foliage. And above all, the peaceful blue glow of the Heart of Atlantis surrounded by the revolving carved stones bearing his ancestors' faces.

Even as he watches, though, that ever-present, comforting blue turns abruptly to a dull red. For long seconds, Ben can't breath, even as his ketak keeps speeding forward. He knows what that color means. He knows what's going to happen, what has to happen.

He and Poe reach the shore and keep going, landing in the city square. The people of Atlantis are already shouting and running, the red pools of light dripping from the Heart sweeping the city like a threatening gaze searching, search... Warning bells are clanging, amplified voices insisting people head for the shelters. Ben spots his mother coming out the palace and runs up to her.

“Ben!” She envelops him in her arms, squeezing tight. “I was so worried.”

“I'm fine. I was – we were flying.”

Poe is beside them now, too, and Leia looks from him to her son. She shakes her head. “It doesn't matter. You're safe. We need to get to a shelter.”

It's at that moment that one of the beams finds them, red light spitting the three in an intimidating pool. Leia looks up at it, eyes widening, and Ben watches in horror as the light fades back to blue, reflecting from her eyes as they turn ice blue - matching the glowing crystal around her neck as it lifts and floats toward it's home.

“No!” Ben shoves her back, and her gaze clears again as she stares at him. “ _You_ need to get to a shelter,” he insists. “While there's still time. Take Poe with you.”

“Ben-”

Ben whirls, steps out the circle – though it moves to follow him – and takes Poe's hands. “Listen, we don't have much time. The crystal up there. In times of danger-” He smiles wanly. “-like now, it takes one of the members of the royal family as a host. Combined, they have the power to protect the city. I have to do this.”

Poe squeezes his hands, fear in his gaze. “You never wanted to be king.”

“It's not quite the same as being king.” Ben dips in to kiss him, quick, simple, final. “I'm here to protect my people. My mother and you and everyone else. Do you understand?”

Poe hesitates, nods finally. “Be safe,” he says, and his voice trembles.

“I'll come back,” Ben promises, though he doesn't know if it's true. “Don't give up on me.”

“I won't.” Poe darts in to hug him, hard and brief, and then Ben is pushing him towards his mother.

“Run!” he tells the two of them, and looks up. He can't see their worried faces again; he can't let them change his mind now. Instead, he focuses on the eyes of his forbears far above him, feels their gazes and that of the Heart searing back into him. His crystal floats before him, and as his vision blurs away and he starts to rise, Ben thinks he hears singing.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Ben isn't a force sensitive, he's a magic user. Poe isn't a pilot (or maybe he is, think Disney's Atlantis hover crafts powered by crystal magic) he's a sailor. Or a knight. Instead of Poe (the non-royal) being focused on protecting Ben, perhaps Ben saves Poe's life while trying to avoid his future as a prince or a sorcerer? Somehow, Ben's running away from his life brings him right back into his destiny. This time, with Poe. And smooches.


End file.
